Lucifer's Bride [Complete]

21

Another chilled kiss brings me further into the waking world. "Believe me, I'd love to stay here in bed with you, my dear. But there are things that need to get done. The faster you get up, the faster we can do them, and the faster we can go beck to bed."

I give a muffled sigh. "Fine."

I roll over and push the thick blankets off my body. My body's still groggy, so my motions are slow and jerky. Still, I manage to wriggle out of my husband's enticing embrace and push myself up. I roll my neck, setting my vertebrae back into place.

I feel the bed shift behind me. Seconds later, Lucifer walks into my line of sight, smiling at me with bright eyes. I'm still slightly stunned by him; I don't think I'll ever get used to how he looks. He's just as beautiful as he was yesterday, all chiseled perfection and glowing splendor. I could be married to him for a thousand years and never stop being entranced by him.

"Let's get you dressed."

He walks over to an enormous carved oak armoire that's been pressed up against the far wall. He grips the twisted iron handles and flings the massive doors open, revealing endless racks of clothing inside. A menagerie of dresses and corsets line the inside, all of it silk, lace and leather. Fit for a queen of the damned, I suppose.

Lucifer starts rummaging through the forest of clothing, tossing elaborately tailored gowns and perfectly acceptable corsets aside. I sigh and push myself off the bed. He's never had a queen before, maybe not even a girlfriend, so having him dress me will most likely end in disaster. I need to intervene before he tries to clothe me like a cheap hooker. Or worse.

I slip off the bed and step lightly onto the tile floor. I take one step towards him and wince in pain. Fuck, I'm sore! All that magnificent sex last night rendered my body almost useless. Who knew losing your virginity like that could be so painful later? I bite my lip and straighten my spine. I have to fight through this. If I don't, my clothing choices will be reduced to nothing.

I take one tentative step after another, slowly but surely closing the distance between us. Finally, after many aching minutes, I stand just behind him, watching as he tosses more inadequate clothing aside. His wings shift slightly with every twist and turn of his shoulders, the muscles of his back flexing gloriously as he seeks out my attire for the day. A small spark ignites in my belly, and I have to clamp down on my cheek to stifle the burn.

Easy, tiger. Have patience.

"What are you looking for exactly?" I scan the growing piles of discarded clothing. "You're rejecting a lot of stuff."

He still, and turns to look at me. "Some thing appropriate for a queen."

I glance back at the piles of luxurious fabrics. "There's a lot here that could fall into that category."

He glances down and grimaces. "Not what I'm looking for."

I sigh. "Here, then. Let me help."

Nodding, he steps aside. I step forward, wincing as I do, and start sifting through the remaining racks of clothing.

"Sore?" he chimes in my ear.

I huff slightly. "No thanks to you," I tease.

One cold palm caresses my ass, making me jump then shiver.

"Careful," he whispers. "I'll put you in much more discomfort if you cop and attitude."

I scoff and roll my eyes. "Attitude. I think you could out-attitude me every single day."

He smacks my ass, making me jump again. "True, but still uncalled for."

I reach down and brush his hand away. If I'm going to be dressed up as his queen, I need to concentrate. I'll never find suitable clothing with him teasing me constantly. "What exactly did you have in mind for me today?"

He pauses, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "Something that's regal, yet seductive. You need to be respected, but I still want to see you."

"Regal yet seductive..." I mumble to myself as I rummage through the racks. "Quite an interesting order to fill."

"I don't care what it is or how it looks, really." He steps behind me, reaches around my waist and cups my breasts again. "I just want to make sure these are put on display."

I have to stop and catch my breath. His touch is icy, but far more seductive than any contact I've ever felt. I shake my head to clear it of all the delicious memories of last night. I can think about those later. Right now, I need to focus. I take another deep breath and dive back into the sea of clothing.

Okay, so he wants a queen who's also eye-candy. Let's see...

"Do you have a color preference?"

He pauses again. "Nothing to bright or cheerful. You're the queen of the underworld. There's not much to celebrate here."

"Okay. That eliminates anything yellow, green or orange." I start pushing anything that's light and cheerfully colored aside. "Anything else?"

"Black and red, mostly. We are in the darker part of the world."

I nod. "Any clothing type you're looking for? Dress? Corset?"

I feel him shrug behind me. "Don't care. As long as I have a fair view of your tits, I'm happy."

Well, at least he's direct.

I sift through the racks again, feeling as if we're getting nowhere. There's tons of beautiful stuff here, but nothing that fills his requirements. I sigh and start preparing to let him have a shot. I stop suddenly when my eye catches something in the back. Curious, I reach into the racks to get a better view of my score.

What I pull out is incredible. It's a floor-length ebony silk ball gown with red lace panels at the sides and black lace bell sleeves. The dress is nearly backless except for a few corset-style lacings of red velvet that weave through small silver hoops. The front is cut deep, the opening spearing nearly half way down the bodice. Along both sides of the cut are several silver grommets held together with slender chains. It's a beautiful piece, with just the amount of sex appeal he's looking for.

Score!